Saturday, March 24, 2012

Have Mug Will Travel

My husband and I always have a full travel mug of our favorite
hot beverage when we set off in our car – milky tea for my husband and lately hibiscus
tea with honey for me. Unfortunately I find that most travel mugs even if made
of metal because of their plastic lids tend to impart their taste to the tea
and I have long thought of making a ceramic one – but how to make a cover to stop
the beverage from spilling? I do not like the look of the commercial plastic
covers that you can buy as an accessory from ceramic suppliers - plus being plastic
there is that plastic taste again.

When I was visiting a gallery in Banff a month ago, I was
told about a potter who makes great travel mugs – located in Canmore a town
near Banff. Unfortunately we were going in the opposite direction so did not
get to visit, but the gallery salesperson brought up the website site ----- and
they really did look great – especially clever idea for the cork lids and the
little sippy holes.

Original design travel mugs by John and Katie Borrowman of the Cabbage and Kings Potteryin Canmore Alberta.

A few days later we arrived at our son’s home in Kimberly,
BC and in searching for some cups in his cupboard I saw that he had two of those
travel mugs! I asked him how he liked them – well he did not use them as he never
uses a travel mug. I never did get a chance to try them out in the car,
but they handle well, though heavier naturally than the plastic or metal ones.

Valley Artisans

About Me

In Dec 2009 I renamed my first blog to Centered - Focus on Clay and Creativity - as I have finished my year long journey workshop with Steven Hill. The focus will continue to be on thoughts about my work - about creativity, design and function...................
I have been making pottery off and on for 40 years, exploring many different aspects of ceramics. I named my pottery business after "The Newfoundout" - the secluded valley high in the Opeongo Hills of eastern Ontario where we own an abandoned farm and where in 2007 I built a wood-fired kiln. I normally fire in a gas kiln in Deep River, Ontario, at the Deep River Potters' Guild, but do several wood firings in the summer.
This blog originally documented my year long "journey workshop" with Steven Hill. It was an incredible "journey" which had a profound effect on my work and as was the North Bay mentorship. I highly recommend this type of workshop to anyone who is interested in exploring their work and creativity.